Show ContentsCarmean History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Carmean reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Carmean is for a person who was known as the carman, or one who rented or let out vehicles. Often carmen were known as hostilers.

Early Origins of the Carmean family

The surname Carmean was first found in Cumberland in the lands of Carman where they held a family seat from very ancient times before 1100 A.D.

Early History of the Carmean family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carmean research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086 and 1300 are included under the topic Early Carmean History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carmean Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Carmean are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Carmean include Carman, Carmen, Carmine, Carmyn and others.

Early Notables of the Carmean family

More information is included under the topic Early Carmean Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carmean Ranking

In the United States, the name Carmean is the 13,094th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Carmean migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Carmean, or a variant listed above:

Carmean Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Florence Carmean, aged 23, who arrived in Springfield, Illinois, in 1919
  • Roy Carmean, aged 2, who arrived in Springfield, Illinois, in 1922

Contemporary Notables of the name Carmean (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Carmean, American head coach of the Guilford College Men's Lacrosse Team, North Carolina
  • Harry Carmean (b. 1922), American painter known for his figurative paintings
  • Frank Carmean, American architect in Arkansas in the 1920s, more than a dozen of his works survive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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